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Daily industrial news and top headlines for plant and maintenance managers

Former IBM CEO Lou Gerstner discusses the state of the average U.S. worker in today's globalized tech industry, and how companies who are trying to make their enterprises efficient and global are treating their workforce. Furthermore, Gerstner touches on just how these workers can position themselves for success in this environment.

SEATTLE (AP) — Washington voters have rejected an initiative that would have privatized workers' compensation insurance.
With more than half of the expected vote counted in Tuesday's election, Initiative 1082 was being defeated by more than 16 points, with 58 percent of voters saying no on the ballot.

WASHINGTON (AP) — Orders to U.S. factories rose broadly in September, propelled by business spending on commercial airplanes, boats and machines.
The Commerce Department says that factory orders rose by 2.1 percent in September, the steepest increase since January. Orders were flat in August.

DETROIT (AP) — October auto sales are expected to rise substantially from the same month last year as once-stingy automakers loosened up on rebates and incentives, luring more customers into showrooms.
Car price information service TrueCar.com predicts October sales rose 11 percent from a year ago, yet were down 3 percent compared with September.

TUCSON, Ariz. (AP) — Northwest Fire District crews responded to a fire at a Tucson-area cement plantTuesday involving a ten-ton container of asphalt.
Northwest Fire spokeswoman Katy Heiden tells The Associated Press the asphalt was in the process of being mixed when a hole developed in the container and some of the leaking asphalt ignited.

DETROIT (AP) — If investors pay what General Motors hopes to get for its stock in a planned IPO, they'll have to buy the logic that the company's stock-market value should be similar to its closest competitor, Ford Motor Co. But Ford is making far more money these days and its U.S. market share is rising while GM's is falling and its new management team has little auto industry experience.

Harley-Davidson Inc.'s restructuring plans are firmly in place and the motorcycle maker is on its way to saving money, being quicker to market with new products and expanding abroad, analysts said Wednesday.
The motorcycle maker held an analyst meeting Tuesday in its hometown of Milwaukee to update investors on the first 18 months of its three-to-five year restructuring plan.

Camel Grinding Wheels (GCW — Niles, IL) has expanded its line of abrasive wheels with the introduction of its 3-in-1 cut/grind/finish combo wheels. The combination eliminates the need for frequent wheel changes and increases production times. When at the 90° position, the combo wheel cuts; at a 30° angle, the wheel grinds; and when used at a 15° angle, the wheel finishes.

Laser Research Optics (Providence, RI) offers a full line of OEM-quality replacement CO2 laser optics, including lenses and mirrors, for popular industrial marking lasers. Laser Research’s products are optimized for use at 10.6 µm with 25 to 200 watt marking lasers. They feature <0.

The two-line intelligent panel meter technology from Davis Instruments (Vernon Hills, IL) — the Red Lion’s PAX2A — is designed for applications in which two parameters need to be visualized at the same time, such as indicating the temperature of an oven while displaying the set point value.

Master Bond (Hackensack, NJ) has developed the EP21ARHT two-component epoxy for coating and lining storage tanks, piping, scrubbers, and processing equipment. Its chemical, fuel, and acid resistance allows it to withstand immersion in 20 percent hydrochloric acid for more than a year. The epoxy cures at room temperature with minimal shrinkage, or more rapidly at elevated temperatures, and once cured, it produces a bond strength greater than 2,200 psi.

A flexible labor management system was just what one plant needed to deal with its industry-specific needs and complex business requirements.
A decadently glazed ham for the holidays or a succulent, juicy pork tenderloin served at a dinner party… sounds good, doesn’t it?
But what do these delectable treats have to do with time and labor management? A lot, if you’re Dan Norman, Director of Information Systems for Triumph Foods, LLC , a pork food processing company in Missouri.

Apple is on a path to overtake Exxon as the largest company by market capitalization, and it's a strong — and troubling — signal that the market is no longer placing as high of a value on industrial companies that depend on traditional manufacturing, business spending, or natural resources for revenue.

DETROIT (AP) — If you're holding out for a bargain on a car, you could be rewarded this month or next.
Automakers are more likely to offer promotions on certain makes and models — particularly luxury cars, SUVs and trucks — to clear out their older models and improve their year-end numbers.

NEWARK, New Jersey (AP) — The Girl Scouts of the USA announced Monday its uniforms will continue to be made in America following a public uproar over reports it was considering bids from China or other overseasmanufacturers.
The owners of a family-run Passaic, New Jersey, factory that has been the main supplier of Girl Scout uniforms and sashes for years were told recently that the organization would be seeking bids for the job — including from a company in China.

DETROIT (AP) — The sale of General Motors stock is expected to raise about $10 billion in an initial public offering that will reduce the U.S. government's stake in the automaker below 50 percent, three people briefed on the sale said Monday.
GM common stock is expected to sell for between $26 and $29 a share when the IPO takes place around Nov.

NEW YORK (AP) — Pharmaceutical giant Pfizer Inc. said Tuesday that revenue in the third quarter jumped 39 percent due to its acquisition of fellow drugmaker Wyeth, but hefty charges related to that $68 billion purchase dragged its profit down 70 percent.
The New York-based maker of cholesterol blockbuster Lipitor and impotence pill Viagra says net income was $866 million, or 11 cents per share.

SALT LAKE CITY (AP) — Authorities say 12 workers were hurt when a steam pipe burst at the University of Utah and sprayed scalding water on subcontractors in an underground utility vault.
Fire Capt. Michael Harp told The Associated Press the men were blasted by 380-degree steam that erupted from the end of a pipe opened Monday during upgrade work.

LONDON (AP) — BP PLC says the cost of the devastating Gulf of Mexico oil spill has grown to $40 billion, dragging down its third quarter net profit by more than 60 percent despite higher oil and gas prices.
The London-based company said Tuesday it returned to profit for the first time since the April spill, though the $1.

Heimatec (Prospect Heights, IL) has announced its newest development, a flexible tool adapter system that allows a standard ER output live tool to accept various adapters for different applications. This allows users the ability to have quick changeover of tools on almost any lathe, using a single live tool, according to the company.